two questions for all you physics wizards out there
heres the questions: Suppose the speed of light were infinite. What would happen to the relativistic predictions of length contraction, time dilation, and mass increase?
Does the earth really go around the sun? Or is it also valid to say that the sun goes around the earth? Discuss in view of the first principle of relativity (that there is no preferred reference frame).
December 12, 2013
4 Comments • Newest first
btw this is grade 11 physics lol so no calculations really
I'm pretty sure the Lorentz factor would tend to 1 as c->infinity, so you'd get your basic Galilean transformations.
As for the second question, suppose you set your reference frame on Earth so that the sun does seem to orbit around it. This is not an inertial reference frame, so you can't really do 'normal' physics with it. Pretty sure you'll get really ridiculous results trying to do calculations on the sun's motion with Earth's reference frame if you don't take the acceleration into account.
Guessing.
Length contraction would become zero, everything would be in one place. Same with time. So I guess everything would be stuck at a point?
E=mc^2
E/c^2 = m
Mass would reduce to zero?
if the speed of light were infinite, sonic the hedgehog would be able to go in a black hole and make it out alive, destroying the world of physics and creating new laws
the earth and the sun both revolve around each other in a never-ending loop, which will eventually create a black hole and spawn shadow, the ultimate life form